TESTIMONY TO THE HOUSE ENVIRONMENTAL MATTERS COMMITTEE

RE: HB692  MOBILE HOME PARK RELOCATION ACT

POSITION: STRONGLY SUPPORT

BY Ruth Crystal       LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF MARYLAND

The League of Women Voters support equality of opportunity in housing; the right to live in safe, decent, affordable housing should not be denied based on  income or ownership status.

Mobile homes are among the constantly decreasing affordable house options for lower-income Maryland residents. Those who live in the mobile home parks have few options: the number of parks is shrinking as owners find more profitable land uses, it is expensive to move a mobile home to another park, and most mobile home parks will not accept older mobile homes. Because of how they depreciate, mobile home owners often owe more on their homes than they can sell them for.  Many jurisdictions around the country require park owners to provide assistance to the mobile home owners when they close their park  The assistance required by this bill provides some financial assistance to the home owners and protection during the interim period.  It also provides information to the county so they can assist the residents who are being displaced. 

Mobile home owners who live in mobile home parks are in a unique position of owning their homes but not the land they are situated on; they have few options when they are displaced. They benefits provided to them in this bill may keep some of them from becoming homeless. The LWVMD supports this bill and urges this committee to vote affirmatively on HB692.